Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 3/3/2009

Question
QUESTION: My 5 lb, 9 yr old Chihuahua had surgery twice for shoulder bone dislocation and torn tendons.  One day after, she started strong vomiting, and received medicine which stopped the vomiting.  Then the tongue swelled 3X life size, and turned black and necrotic.  It hung out of her mouth, off to one side.  There was super-thick, stringy, bloody mucus which came from her mouth.  She didn’t eat or drink for over a week, and ended up severely dehydrated and on IV for a week.  This mucus finally dried up and eventually the tongue returned to pink, but most of the tongue is gone!  I have fed her a slurry of A/D dog food from PetSmart with a syringe.  She has recovered somewhat, and will probably survive it seems.  Her anal glands were emptied twice, two days apart, and were impacted severely both times, with stuff that looked like Play Dough.  Only after these two events was she able to have a bowel movement.  Seems like they are blocked again, and she goes back to the vet tomorrow.  We have been to 5 vets, and spent over $3,000 since Feb 13th,and still nobody understands what is going on.

Two questions: Can her tongue grow back, and do you have any idea of what is wrong / what to do for her next?  Thanks.


ANSWER: Rosemarie -

Your dog seems to have been through a lot lately.  I have a few ideas why her tongue became necrotic but because I have not had the benefit of giving her a physical exam and perusing her medical history, I cannot speak to those circumstances.  

I can suggest that if you are planning to spend more money on her healthcare, you should consult an internal medicine specialist.  A specialist will have the resources to come as close to a definitive diagnosis as possible.  

If is obvious that you care deeply for your dog; another option may be to seek the help of a veterinary school.  They would be eager to help your pet and they too, should have extensive resources.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM

P. S.  Unfortunately, a dog's tongue cannot regenerate.  However, they can adapt to eating without the use of a whole tongue.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Can you just give me some generalities as to what may have happened?  It seems as though there is nothing we can do now, and every vet we have talked to has literally said that they do not first idea of what could have happened. She was in perfect health before surgery, she even ate Royal Canin Chihuhua food, etc.  After the surgery she had kidney issues, which have since resolved, and an elevated ALT, which has not yet resolved. She has even been to a specialist who suggested that maybe it was drug reaction, but there was no way to be sure.
More importantly, how can we help her adapt to her new tongue-less life?  She cannot lap up water or food, and we are hand feeding her by syringe.  Does she just adapt with time or can we help her out?

Answer
Rosemary -

My first inclination is that the necrotic tongue resulted from a drug reaction because it happened so rapidly.  This same result can come from chronic kidney failure but will not happen as quickly as you describe.  

You can help her adapt by continuing to do what you are doing - syringe feeding as necessary. She will get stronger and depending on the resulting length of the tongue, will be able to eat on her own.  You should further consult your local veterinarian in other ways to help her. I cannot offer other suggestions because as I earlier stated, I have not given her a physical exam and I am not entirely familiar with her full medical history.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM